


Study Grind

by melly_diamond, teecrushfic, thilia



Series: Study Grind [1]
Category: Tokio Hotel
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-25
Updated: 2012-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-31 17:39:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/346702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melly_diamond/pseuds/melly_diamond, https://archiveofourown.org/users/teecrushfic/pseuds/teecrushfic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thilia/pseuds/thilia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One street, two schools. One private and one public. The schools have a tutoring program going together. Volunteer students from the private school tutor students from the public school.</p><p>Georg is a failing jock who needs to pass History or get kicked off the football team. Gustav is his assigned tutor and Georg quickly learns not to judge a book by its cover. Glasses, a school uniform and good grades are not the only things that make up Gustav Schäfer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Georg tapped his fingers on the table impatiently, looking around the library with an impatient frown. The school library wasn't a place where he usually liked to spend his time; in fact, he had never set foot into it before today. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed heavily, glancing at his watch for the tenth time in five minutes. His tutor was late. Weren't private school students supposed to be reliable and punctual?

He leaned back in his chair and stared at his history book with great distaste. He hated school in general, but as far as he was concerned, History was particularly evil. While it wasn't entirely uninteresting, he had his problems with the subject and just couldn't seem to memorize the dates and events of the past, and he wasn't sure how exactly a tutor was supposed to help with that.

After getting back a few bad tests and being called to the principal's office for a long, serious talk about his academic success (or lack thereof) and his future career, he had been given an ultimatum. Reluctantly, he had agreed to let one of those arrogant private school students tutor him. It wasn't as if he had a choice. His grades weren't fantastic to begin with, but since he was failing History, and would be kicked off the football team if he didn't improve his History grades considerably. Since he was hoping to become a professional athlete, getting kicked off the team was simply not an option, and Georg was willing to do whatever it took to get his grades up. Even accept the embarrassing little fact that he needed a tutor. 

Looking at his watch one more time, he let out an impatient sigh and wondered if the guy – or girl; Georg desperately hoped it would be a girl – would show up at some point or if they'd forgotten about him completely. He had a date with his girlfriend later, and if he was late, he would have to listen to her complain and bitch for hours, and he would rather spend that time doing something much more fun. Like making out, for example, and trying to get into the girl's pants.

They had been dating for two months now, and she still refused to let him get anywhere near her underwear. As if his life wasn't hard enough already.

 

Gustav wasn't particularly thrilled with his assignment either; he saw no point in sports, and less of the idiots who played them. Who the hell _willingly_ ran around a field, inviting huge globs of flesh with legs to chase them, then fall on them?

Idiotic. But since he'd been placed in this program with other perceived-as-snotty students who were not only supposed to help their fellow teens learn, but learn to get along with those not like himself, he had no choice. He still wasn't talking to his parents, school counselor or headmaster as a result. 

He entered the library and looked around, immediately spotting the bored-looking boy in the corner. Great. He sighed and walked over, setting his book bag down on the chair opposite the boy. 

"Are you Georg?"

Georg looked up and sighed inwardly. The boy looked exactly how he'd imagined him. Geeky, wearing a school uniform, glasses, with a stupid haircut, and clearly privileged, like everyone else from that private school. 

As much as he hated that he even needed a tutor, he made himself give the boy a chance, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm Georg. And you are…?"

Gustav, never one for social graces, sighed _outwardly_. "Gustav."

He reached to shake Georg's hand and sat down, looking around. This was nothing like his school's library – hell, this place looked like the inside of one of those Bookmobiles that ran around trying to get people to read. Lovely. 

"Okay," he said a moment later. "I doubt that either of us is thrilled to be here; you were hoping for a pretty girl, or boy, maybe, and I was hoping that a meteor would hit me on the way over. But since we're both here, we might as well get to it."

He slipped off his blazer and rubbed his neck. "So you suck at which subject again?"

Georg was a little surprised and raised a brow at the other boy. He'd expected the guy would actually _want_ to study and that he'd be thrilled to be there and share his knowledge, so to speak, but clearly, that wasn't the case. Huh. 

"Yeah," he just said, pushing his hair out of his face and leaning back. "And yeah, History – I suck at History."

Gustav watched him play with his hair and was about to suggest a headband, barrette or tiara, but stopped himself just in time. It wasn't this kid's fault his headmaster and parents were fuckwits. 

But he'd gotten stuck with a loquacious one, he saw, and shook his head. "Okay, so History. Those who don't heed the past are condemned to repeat it, and all that crap. Is it that you find the subject boring, or that you have trouble memorizing the dates and events?"

Georg shrugged. "Depends what it's about. Mostly I just can't memorize all that shit. But it can be interesting, I guess. Like I said – depends on the era and stuff."

Gustav watched him. "It can be, yeah, depending on your viewpoint, I guess."

Georg sighed, then reached into his pocket and pulled back his hair, tying it together. "So, how do you plan to get this stuff into my head?"

Gustav honestly had not thought that far – he’d been too busy being pissed off to think about how this was to be done, so he just used the first thought he came up with. 

"Sometimes, if you can just manage to read it like a story, and forget the 'having to study it' part, it's a little easier. You tend to remember it like you would the details of a movie."

He nibbled on his lip. "Also, I can do outlines for the chapters you need to study, pick out what's most likely on a test. Soon you'll pick them out for yourself."

"All right, sounds good," Georg said after a moment of silence, and leaned back. "And if I have any questions, I can ask you next time, I guess."

He reached for his book and pointed out the passages he had to study for his next test. 

"That's what I'm here for." Gustav tried to sound pleasant, and mostly succeeded. He took the book from Georg, and looked over the material. "So they're talking about the Hundred Years War – that's not too bad. What do you know about it so far?"

Georg blinked stupidly, feeling a little embarrassed when he realized he knew nothing. Great. He really would've preferred to show the guy that he wasn't as stupid as he looked. Still, after a moment of thinking, he managed to give Gustav a few facts, watching him take notes. 

When he stopped, Gustav apparently saw that as his cue to take over, and Georg tried not to look too bored as he listened. He still couldn't seem to stop glancing at his watch; it felt as if they had been sitting here forever, even though only a few minutes had passed. 

Gustav went on memory alone since they'd covered this at his school already. When he noticed Georg looking at his watch, he stopped talking for a long moment, then closed the book and pushed it back towards the other boy. 

"Look, this is not going to work. You could give a shit less about being here, and you're not listening anyway."

He stood up and pulled his blazer on. "Maybe you should just do what every other jock in the world does, and pay some geek for the answers on the next test. And no, I'm not gonna be that geek."

Surprised by this sudden turn of events, Georg narrowed his eyes and shrugged before getting up. "Fine. It's not like I need you."

He grabbed his book, stuffed it into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and walked out of the library, well aware that he was screwing himself over and that he would have to figure this shit out on his own – but for now, he really couldn't spend another minute with that stupid snob. 

As he walked out of the room, he didn't hear Gustav muttering something under his breath, and made his way out of the school building on his way to his girlfriend's house. He sighed angrily, shaking his head as he remembered the disapproving frown on Gustav's face. 

He had a _life_. Tutor boy obviously didn't, so he couldn't understand what could be more important than studying. To Georg, his girl was more important than some stupid test – if Gustav couldn't understand that, screw him. 

When he arrived at Melissa's place, he rang the doorbell and waited, forcing himself to smile when she opened the door. 

"Hey," he said, giving her a sheepish smile when he noticed her frown. "I know – I'm late. It's not my fault, though. And don't even ask about _him_ ; he was terribly annoying and I just want to kiss you right now anyway."

He slid his arms around her and pulled her close as he kissed her deeply, smiling when he felt her relax in his arms. At least he didn't have to deal with an angry girlfriend right now – he didn't think he could've handled that on top of tutor boy being a stupid, arrogant, privileged ass.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The test came and went, and even though Georg spent _hours_ studying for it, predictably, he failed it. For a moment, he wished he hadn't walked out on Gustav, but then he got over his momentary regret and was just furious that his fucking teacher had given him impossible questions. He was sure that his test had been way more difficult than anyone else's – even though technically, it had been the same. 

About two weeks after his first and last tutoring session, he still felt deeply depressed over the bad outcome of his test, and managed to talk his girl into letting him take her to McDonald's – which was his idea of comfort food. There was nothing like a burger to make you feel better. 

They ordered and were about to carry their trays to the table when Georg walked around a corner and almost ran straight into someone. 

"Sorry!" he gasped, managing to catch his tray before his burger landed on the floor, which would've been a waste of perfectly good food. He looked up at the guy and was about to apologize again when he recognized Gustav, and blinked. 

Well, shit. Was he stalking him or something?

Gustav, on the other hand, had been about to snap, "Hey, fucking watch it!" but he managed not to and helped Georg steady his tray, his hand bumping against the other boy's. "Oh hey," he said instead, stepping back. "Sorry."

He was with his friend Bill, who had crashed into his back and was now scowling because his suede boots had gotten stepped on. 

After another look at his former student, Gustav noticed the look on his face and sighed. "I'm not following you – even geeks like McDonald's."

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "How'd your test go?"

Georg opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, holding the tray with one hand. Then he shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, fine," he managed. "It went fine. Thanks for asking."

"Did it? Good, glad to hear it," Gustav said, not believing it for a moment.

Georg licked his lips, and suddenly wanted to get as far away as possible. "Well, then… bye."

He turned around, followed Melissa to their table and sat down, but glanced over his shoulder to watch Gustav and his friend make their way to the counter. 

The moment Georg was gone, Bill raised a brow. "Let me guess – that was the jock? Dude. You forgot to mention he's super-handsome! Nice ass!"

He grinned and wiggled his brows at Gustav who rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he's okay – I never looked at his ass, but hey, you're looking enough for both of us."

He had to grin and looked up at the menu, winding up ordering half of it – he was starving. 

When he and Bill were seated, he glanced over at Georg's table – that had to be the requisite girlfriend. She was okay, he thought, if you liked that. And apparently jock boy did. 

Bill ate a few fries and watched the guy – and then watched _Gustav_ watch the guy before he smiled to himself. Hmm…

"I'll be back," he said, standing up abruptly to go to the bathroom when he noticed that the jock's girlfriend had disappeared as well. 

Meanwhile, Georg sat at his own table, and couldn't seem to make himself stop glancing over at his former tutor. When he noticed that he was alone, he struggled. He knew he needed a tutor to get his grades up – his failed test was an excellent example for how bad it went when he studied on his own. But at the same time, he didn't want to admit defeat. 

"Get a grip," he murmured, forcing himself to stand up and walk over to Gustav's table. He hesitated before flopping down across from the other boy. He looked down at the table and folded his hands before reluctantly making himself meet the Gustav's eyes. 

"The test didn't go well," he admitted. "And…"

He trailed off and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I need your help," he murmured, hating that he had to give Gustav the satisfaction of being right. 

Gustav took a sip of his shake, then wiped his mouth when Georg was done. 

"So you lied," he said, nodding. "Good man – I would have, too." He paused. "Last time I tried to help you, you weren't too interested and spent your time looking at your watch. Why would I subject myself to that again?"

Georg sighed heavily. "I know. I know – it was rude. I shouldn’t have done it and given you a chance. But I had a date with Melissa, and…" He smirked. "You know how women can be."

Gustav smiled back, just a little. "No, I don't, actually. Bill is kind of a girl, though, so…"

Georg bit his lip and nodded before he forced himself to go on. "Would you be willing to give me another chance if I promise to do better?"

Gustav tilted his head, and after a moment of silence that seemed endless to Georg, he shrugged. "Sure, why not? Just – if we're gonna do this, pay attention for the half hour, hour it will take a week, okay? You can do whatever the hell you want when I'm not around, but I could really help you, if you listened."

Georg nodded, knowing Gustav was right, as much as he hated to admit it. "I know. And I will. I promise."

He stole a fry, then looked up when Melissa came back out of the bathroom. "Well, I should go back. I'll see you…" He paused. "I think I have your number somewhere, so I'll call you tomorrow or… whenever."

"You do that," nodded Gustav, and added, "See you."

Georg got up and left just before Bill came back. "Oooh, hot date with your secret lover while I'm off? Nice, nice. So, what did he want?"

Gustav snorted and dunked his fries in some ketchup. "Yeah, it was the quickest hot date in history – but no, he's not my type. And I assume he wants to pass History so he can continue to run around a field with a little brown ball. I decided to be nice and give him another chance."

He nodded, then smirked at Bill. "The ass is pretty nice, though."

Bill laughed. "It is, isn't it? Yum. And not your type?" He tilted his head. "So who _is_ your type? I mean, that guy is pretty hot. How gorgeous does someone have to be for them to be your type?"

Gustav sighed. "I don't know. I don't have time for this kind of stuff anyway. I have school to finish, university to get into, a career to have. I don't have time to be chasing dumb jocks, just 'cause they might be pretty."

He smiled at Bill. "Nothing says he can't be _your_ type, though."

Bill was digesting his friend's words and stared at him. "Oh come on, Gustav. You need to relax and have some fun every once in a while. A boyfriend might not be such a bad idea."

Then he smiled. "But if you don't want him…"

Both of them watched Georg who was just getting up to leave and giving Gustav a quick wave before he and the girlfriend disappeared.

Gustav, surprised, waved back, and this time, he did check Georg's ass out a little more – it was sweet, but of course, he was hooked up with that chick, so he was a no go.

Bill seemed to realize that, too. "No. He's a jock, and jocks are straight, so I'll have to find something else for me. Pity, though. It really is a damn fine ass."

They sighed in concert and Gustav shrugged. "Again, I don't have time."

He knew that Bill knew very well that he was just scared – no more, no less. And even if he got past this fear – someone like Georg? He was so out of his league that it was scary.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Georg had just finished his homework when his eyes rested on his History book. He reached for his phone and stared at Gustav's number for a long moment, hesitating before he finally made himself dial the other boy's number. He didn't feel like studying, but he knew he needed to take this seriously. He took a breath and patiently waited for the other boy to pick up. 

Gustav was studying – of course – when his cell went off. He picked his phone up with a vaguely sleepy, "Hello?"

He had listened to Bill tell him that he needed to loosen up the night before, that he should _make_ time for a boyfriend, and that someone different from him would be the best choice, and he couldn't disagree. But it was so much easier to say than do.

"Hey," Georg said when he heard Gustav's voice, and lit a cigarette. "It's Georg. How are you?"

How are you?! It wasn't as if they were friends or anything.

He rubbed his forehead and waited for Gustav to respond. 

"Oh hey." Gustav sat up – he'd been flat on his stomach for an hour and he listened to everything creak as he moved. "I'm fine. Just creaky."

He glanced over at the clock. "I guess I didn't really expect you to call."

Georg frowned, remembering very clearly that he'd told Gustav he would call the next day. Did tutor boy really think he was so unreliable?

"Well, um," he said. "I was just wondering when you would have time to study for an hour or two. Today would be great but if you don't have time, we could do it some other day. Also, I'd really love it if we didn't have to go back to the library – I don't really feel comfortable there. So we could do it at my place or your place, or some coffee shop, or whatever."

Gustav rubbed his neck. "I have time this weekend – either today or tomorrow. I mean, I think I can fit you in around my rich social life. You know, amongst the parties and such." He snorted. "You can come here or at a coffee shop – you pick."

Georg grinned, surprised that someone as serious as Gustav actually seemed to have a humorous streak. 

"Your place," he said without thinking, then flushed for no reason. "I mean, it would probably be better. To study. Coffee shops are noisy and I'd get distracted. So um… today would be great. Just tell me when to be where, and I'll be there."

He pushed his hair back and wondered why he felt so awkward. His palms were sweaty and he couldn't think of the right words… What was wrong with him?

He blinked and focused back on Gustav. 

"Uhm… yeah. Sure, okay." Gustav looked around his room, apprising how suitable it was for company, then decided it probably looked good enough for someone who didn't much want to be there. "Why don't you make it at three? Give me time to get in the shower and all. Will that work?"

Then he paused. "Are you all right? You sound a little weird."

A moment later, he wondered why he would ask such a thing, and realized that he didn't know if Georg really sounded weird or not. He didn't know him well enough to tell. 

"Sure," Georg said. "That sounds fine. And no, I'm okay. Just… Yeah. I'm fine."

Georg sighed inwardly and knew he would have to get off the phone sooner rather than later – he clearly couldn't talk to someone who was so much smarter than him. 

He smiled a little, then ended the phone call after saying goodbye and jotting down Gustav's address. When he'd dropped his phone onto the bed, he wiped his hands on his jeans and frowned, but decided not to think about why he'd been so nervous just now. He got up and went to take a shower while Gustav, at his house, did the same. 

As he washed, Gustav felt his stomach flutter a little and had no idea why. If he called Bill to ask him, all he'd get was another lecture about finding someone, or else unwanted sex tips, appropriate for study dates. Bill had sex on the brain.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

At three, Georg stood in front of what he assumed was Gustav's house, feeling even more nervous than before. He didn't know why and couldn't explain it to himself. Maybe he just wasn't used to meeting strangers for study sessions. 

The doorbell rang, and Gustav went downstairs to answer it – he wanted to circumvent his mother who liked to ask questions; questions that no one ever wanted to answer.

He opened the door and found a nervous-looking football player on his doorstep, and the thought crossed his mind that that sounded like the innocent beginning of the smutty novels his mom pretended she didn't read. 

"Hey," Georg said, managing a nervous smile. "Found it. Great."

He resisted the urge to smack himself and went on. "Anyway, um, hi. I hope I'm not too early?"

He knew he wasn't but he didn't know what else to say.

"Hey – and no, you're right on time." Gustav gave him a little smile as he let him into the house. He could hear his mother in the kitchen and knew at any minute, she'd be on them. Not literally, but still. 

"I thought we could study upstairs in my room – you know, avoid the parents. I don't know about yours, but mine are a pain in the ass." He paused. "I have one of those little fridges up there, so there's cold Coke, beer, whatever. Beer is possibly not the way to go, but…"

He stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, I'm babbling. I don't have that many people over."

Georg looked around the house, trying not to be too obvious. He liked seeing other people's houses – and not in a weird, stalkery way. 

When Gustav spoke, he looked up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sure. Your room sounds fine. And yeah, parents." He rolled his eyes and smiled a little, then shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I babble too when I'm nervous, and this is an odd and new situation for both of us, I guess."

He stood there awkwardly for a moment before he looked up. "So, your room?"

Gustav was weirdly relieved to find that Georg wasn't any more socially graceful in this situation than he was. "Yeah, exactly; this is new. And yeah, my room - this way."

He led Georg upstairs to his room, wondering belatedly if _his_ ass looked good going up the stairs, then mentally slapped himself; the other boy had a girlfriend, right? Damn Bill for putting ideas in his head. 

Georg, on the other hand, was too busy wondering what was going on with him to really notice Gustav's ass; this nervousness was highly unusual for him. Just before a test or a game – maybe. But when he was supposed to study with a guy? Why would he be nervous? Gustav was nicer than he'd initially thought, and made him feel at ease. There was nothing to be nervous about. 

Was there?

When they arrived in Gustav's room, Gustav indicated the futon couch in front of the television. "Grab a seat – want a Coke or something?"

Georg sat down and nodded. "Sure, a Coke would be great. Maybe a beer later when we're done."

He grinned. "See? I'm more responsible already."

Gustav smiled back. "Excellent – see?" He got them both a cold Coke and sat down next to him. 

"So the test didn't go well – are they letting you take a make-up test? Usually they let their star athletes retake a test, especially if their eligibility is on the line."

At Georg's surprised look, he shrugged. "I asked around – some of my classmates have friends or relatives at your school. I wanted to know how badly you needed help."

Georg blinked, then nodded. "Yeah," he said after he'd gotten over the initial surprise. "I can retake it next Friday. So… Yeah. I need your help, desperately. And yes, I would beg to get you to help me, but please don't make me."

He smiled a little. "So you asked around? After I was a dick to you? Do you always care about people's grades, even if you don't know them, or am I special?" He grinned, cocking an eyebrow. 

Gustav smirked. "I could make you beg? This just got a whole lot more interesting then." He popped open his Coke, taking a sip. "But yeah, I asked around after you came over at McDonald's – I figured it probably took a lot for you to do that, so…"

He took another sip. "I figured it would be too bad to get kicked off some team and miss any scholarship possibilities just because studying didn't work too well the first time."

He watched Georg's hair fall into his face when he leaned forward to pull out his book, and found himself wondering what it would be like to touch it. Then he told himself to knock it the fuck off. This was strictly business. 

When Georg looked up, he smiled. "Yeah, I guess it was hard, but I knew I had to do it. And now I'm glad I did. You're actually not as bad as I thought you'd be."

"Gee, thanks," Gustav rolled his eyes – but understood. Georg wasn't as bad as he'd thought either. 

Georg grinned, then stared down at the book on his lap, sighing heavily. "So. History. Yay."

He didn't even try to sound enthusiastic, and was pretty sure that he wouldn't have fooled Gustav if he'd tried. 

"Let's try something different this time, okay?" Gustav asked then. "I'm gonna tell you the story of this war, and when I'm done, you give it back to me, in your own words. Don't worry about remembering everything I say, just listen. All right?"

For the next ten minutes, Gustav told Georg about the Hundred Years War, making himself keep eye contact and not drone on. He tried to make it interesting, and in a way, History _was_. 

Georg listened to him – but he didn't _only_ listen. While Gustav was talking, Georg found himself listening to his voice, watching his mouth, looking into those deep brown eyes. Then he also looked at the rest of Gustav but managed to focus back on what he was saying before Gustav was done. 

"Okay, your eyes didn't glaze over, so tell me what I said," Gustav said, and Georg bit his lip. 

"Well, um," he started, feeling hugely pressured for a moment, and like he didn't remember anything. But when he started talking, retelling the events that Gustav had just mentioned, he found that he remembered almost everything the other boy had said. He focused on the main events first, then added a few details later that had escaped him at first.

"Good?" he asked when he couldn't think of anything else, and looked doubtful. 

Gustav, however, grinned. "Fantastic! No – I'm serious. That was exactly what I wanted to see you do. It will stick now, better than it did before."

He was very pleased that his technique had worked, and tried not to laugh when he noticed the proud look on Georg's face. 

He handed Georg a paper. "This was all the stuff I touched on, and for the dates, well, there's really only four, and…"

He went on to explain his mnemonic device, and had Georg come up with his own. "They can be as silly or stupid as you want – whatever helps you remember. And you know you can, because you remember your playbook for football, right? If you don't see studying as the enemy, it goes much better."

Georg nodded and reached for his Coke, taking a sip. "All right. I'll give it a try – thank you." He looked over at Gustav and smiled, watching him. 

"You're welcome – and actually, thank _you_ , for trying."

Gustav rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry I was kind of an ass the other day," he said awkwardly. "My school just started this program and picked five of us to participate – no choice. We got picked, period – and the reason we were picked is because the school board thought we needed to learn how to interact with others better. In short, they picked the ones they thought were the most socially inept, and I was pissed off to be in that group."

He took a sip of Coke. "Never mind that I probably should be there; it was just kind of insulting, and I had a huge chip on my shoulder from the start. So sorry, it wasn't you."

Georg looked at him and nodded. "I didn't give you a chance either. I hate that I have to do this, and having a tutor is sort of embarrassing, so I wasn't willing to give you a chance. And then there's of course the prejudice of everyone from your school being geeky and snobbish, so I _really_ didn't want to be there."

He shrugged. "So there's no need to apologize – we both didn't want to be there that day – and, well, it's clear that I need your help, and I'm willing to accept that now. Besides, you kind of seem much cooler than I thought you would."

Gustav snorted at that. "I seem kind of cooler? Well, thanks. And yeah, I can see how that would be embarrassing, but at least you're caring enough to get help so you can keep playing. I guess you're pretty good, huh?"

Gustav already knew that Georg was good – very good, in fact. He'd read back sports stories that normally bored him senseless, and knew that this boy was on the fast track with a lot of university interest. For playing a _game_ , of all things. But to each his own.

Georg laughed, shrugging. "You do seem cool, yeah. I expected someone really boring, but you're actually kind of nice." He paused and shrugged, still smiling.

Gustav decided to take the compliment as it was and be glad for it, then listened as Georg continued. 

"And yeah, I'm good. I do my best, you know? When you don't have any other talents, you just focus on what you know how to do."

Gustav nodded and returned the smile. "Yeah, you do have to go with what works, don't you? But I doubt football is the only talent you have. So, uh, what do you do when you're not in school, playing, having to be tutored or making out with the girlfriend? Actually, is there any time left over that?"

Georg brushed his hair back and grinned. "There is, actually, yeah. I play a lot but I still find time to do other things – studying might limit my free time a little, though." He grimaced, then tapped his fingers on his thigh as he glanced around. "The girlfriend actually doesn't take up that much of my time. She refuses to let me do more than kissing, and a boy can only make out for a certain time before he has to make a polite retreat and go take care of a little… problem, if you know what I mean."

He grinned, then sighed. "Girls are frustrating, trust me. If you don't have one, you can be glad."

Gustav understood taking care of 'little problems' all too well. "I take care of that problem pretty often myself," he admitted. "But I guess I should be glad then, that I don't have a frustrating girlfriend. So yeah, I'm glad. I wouldn't mind having a frustrating boyfriend at this point, but doesn't look like that's coming my way anytime soon."

He nibbled on his lip, wondering if Georg was going to have some outsize reaction or be disgusted – he hoped not but was rather expecting he would.

Georg grinned at first; he would've been surprised if Gustav _didn't_ take care of that particular little problem – what boy didn't? They all did what they had to do, right?

At the mention of a boyfriend, he raised his brows and shifted a little. It wasn't that he had a problem with people being gay, but… well. "I thought that boy you were with last night might be your boyfriend," he said carefully, watching the other boy's face. "He looked pretty. I guess."

Gustav noted the shift and brows, then sighed a little inwardly. At least he hadn't gotten punched. "Oh… no, that's Bill. He's my best friend, but no, not my boyfriend." He had to smile. "Bill's a little too high-maintenance for me, but he is very pretty, and a genuinely nice guy, so he'll make someone an awesome boyfriend."

Georg nodded. "Oh, I see," he said, biting his lip. "Well, I'd offer to set you up with someone but I don't really know anyone who's gay or bi or anything. Sorry."

Gustav shrugged. "Oh god, no, that's fine. I really don't have time for a relationship with anyone, so yeah, thanks, but no worries."

Georg nodded, then rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and hesitated. There was something else he could tell Gustav about himself; something he'd never told anyone before. And since they were having this sort of deep and meaningful conversation, he might as well throw in his "darkest" secret – which probably wasn't really dark at all, but he'd never talked about this before. But he had a feeling that he could talk to Gustav about things he wouldn't mention to other friends. Not that they were friends already – but he had a feeling they could be. 

"Actually, I also play the guitar and bass," he said slowly, chewing on his bottom lip and looking at Gustav. "I've never told anyone before, but I'm actually getting pretty good at that."

He felt the tips of his ears flushing, and was glad that they were hidden behind his hair. 

Gustav's eyes widened a little. "No kidding? That's awesome," he said sincerely, and Georg relaxed. "I actually play drums, myself. Dad got them for me a long time ago, theoretically to help me channel my aggression. Guess I was an angry kid, but they did help. They still do, and I'm pretty good, too."

"You think so, huh?" Georg asked, smiling. "Yeah, I love playing. I only do it at home, but being in a band would be kind of awesome, too. But, well, at the moment, sports are my main focus. But if that doesn't work out – who knows?"

He eyed him thoughtfully, then grinned. "I can't see you being angry and aggressive at all. You seem so… I don't know. Nice."

Gustav finished his Coke and tossed the empty can into the bin. "I'm glad I seem nice – I'm not always, sad to say, but I try. And if you ever want an audience, I'd like to hear you play."

He flushed, wondering if that had been a smart thing to say. Probably not. 

Georg, however, only raised his brows in surprise. "Uh, really? I don't know if I'm good enough for an audience yet. But I'll keep that in mind."

He noticed the flush and pressed his lips together. "I actually do some song-writing too," he admitted, then immediately wondered why – WHY – he'd felt the need to mention that. Could this get any more embarrassing?

Gustav, however, seemed interested. "See? Football's not your only talent, obviously."

He was amazed that they were having a normal conversation. "I write stories," he offered. "But they're sort of, you know, gothic and weird and dark. I only _look_ innocent, you see."

Georg's eyes widened. "Really? Wow. You don't look dark to me at all." 

Gustav nodded. "Trust me – I'm one step away from dyeing my hair black, getting tats, black studs in my eyebrows…"

He laughed at the look on Georg's face. "Dude, no one would look weirder as a Goth than me."

"Yeah," Georg said with a smile. "It's kind of hard to imagine."

He was silent for a moment, then bit his lip. "Well, if you ever want to share one of your stories, I'd be interested."

He briefly wondered when they'd started talking about such personal things – this was almost getting intimate. 

Gustav considered. "I'll make you a deal – you play for me, I'll show you one of the less gory stories. Deal?"

Georg wrinkled his nose at the prospect of playing for Gustav but finally agreed. "Fine. We can do that at some point in the future."

He leaned back and looked around. "So, how about that beer now?"

Gustav smiled. "Yeah. I think a beer is well-earned here."

He reached over and grabbed two beers out of the little fridge and handed one to Georg, then leaned over and opened the window. "I need a smoke – hope you don't mind. You probably live all healthy and stuff, right?"

Georg raised a brow; he hadn't expected someone like Gustav to smoke. "I'm not a health freak," he said with a shrug. "I try to be but a smoke every now and then isn't something I'll say no to."

He grinned and accepted the cigarette and beer, taking a deep drag, then a sip. 

"Well, hey, we're kids – don't have to be perfect yet." Gustav smiled back and then leaned back on the futon. "How long have you and the girlfriend been going out? And why won't she let you get further? Is she one of those 'no sex before marriage' types? Cause I don't get that at all. What if one of you is terrible in bed and you don't know till your wedding night? What if you're totally incompatible? What a fucking time to find out."

He pondered, then took another sip of beer. "'Course I'll never have to worry about getting married, so…"

When Georg was reminded of Melissa, he groaned. "Well, about two months now. And yes, she's one of those types, and that's exactly what I always tell her. It's not serious between us anyway, and her attitude is seriously starting to bug me, so…" He took a breath. "I don't think it'll last that much longer."

"Oh, well." Gustav searched for something to say. "I guess that's too bad if you really like her, and good if you're not that into it."

Georg nodded, then eyed Gustav. "Why aren't you getting married?"

Gustav finished his cigarette and put it out, taking another sip of beer before looking up. "Why? Um, well, no one would _want_ to marry me, first of all, since even if I wanted to date, nobody would date me, and then I have the little problem of gay marriage being still mostly illegal. So yeah, I'm not picking out china patterns. But hey, you probably have girls lining up to take her place."

"Right," Georg said, looking him over. "I don't think you'd have problems finding a guy if you went somewhere where… I don't know. To, like, a gay club or something. I don't know where you can meet guys, but yeah. I think you'd have success there – wherever that is. And they're working on getting it legalized, so…"

"Maybe – I don't know." Gustav was flushing again. "I guess I won't worry about that right now."

He rubbed his face and searched for something non-personal to say. "Do you play X-Box or PS3? I have both, because I'm spoiled and my grandmother thinks it's my birthday eight times a year and sends a check. I don't have the heart to tell her otherwise."

He smiled at Georg. "Want to get your ass kicked onscreen?"

Georg grinned back. "Sure. If you want to get _your_ ass kicked – absolutely."

Gustav raised one brow and scoffed, and for the next hour they played – both were pretty good and the battle ended in a draw. "Damn, you gave me a run – next time I'll ..."

Wait, there probably wouldn't _be_ a next time. Once Georg passed his test, he wouldn't have any need for him anymore, so… He finished with, "Good game, thanks."

It was getting late in the afternoon and Gustav figured the other boy probably had a date; he hadn't heard from Bill, so he must have gotten lucky. He sighed. "Well, I wish you luck," he said softly. "I'm sure if you go over the story and just look over the study sheet every day, it will sink in even more. So, yeah, good luck."

He shook Georg's hand and saw him out, then leaned against the door, feeling really, really odd.


	3. Chapter 3

Georg spent the rest of the week studying, and found that Gustav had actually helped him a lot. He found it easier to memorize the dates, and while his head felt pretty full when he was done, he was quite proud of himself for not giving up yet. 

The day of the test came, and Georg could barely keep his nervousness under control. He couldn't speak, his hands were shaking, and he dropped the paper three times before he could finally take a look at the questions. 

At first, he had a complete blackout, and suddenly couldn't remember anything. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down and clear his head. He knew this. He'd been studying a lot for it, so he knew the answers. He just had to concentrate. 

He kept his eyes closed for a few long seconds, picturing Gustav's mouth as he'd told him about the Hundred Years War, then reached for his pen and started writing. Slowly, details and dates came back to him, and while his answers were a little chaotic, he still knew that he couldn't have done a better job. 

When he handed in the test, the teacher told him to wait as he corrected it. Georg grew more nervous by the second, then gulped when he got the sheet back. 

And he was speechless. Completely speechless. 

As he exited the school, he had a wide smile on his face, and didn't even have to think about where he was going. There was only one person he wanted to share this with.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Gustav didn't hear from Georg all the next week - not that he thought he might, but for some reason he had it in the back of his mind that they might have become friends.

That's what he thought on Sunday – and on Monday.

Tuesday, he began to doubt it, and by Wednesday, he was calling himself a complete fucking idiot and had put the other boy (mostly) out of his mind. He'd been stupid to think that one afternoon of talking meant anything, and the thought of attraction was so ludicrous that he wanted to bleach his brain for even thinking such a stupid thought.

So when his doorbell rang around 3 pm Friday afternoon, he figured it was a delivery person or a passing Jehovah's Witness he could shame into running away with their fliers scattering everywhere.

But it was Georg.

"Hey!" he greeted him, visibly surprised. "What's up?"

Georg looked up and grinned widely. "Hi! Guess what?"

He managed to stay silent for exactly two seconds before he squeaked. "I got a B!"

He wrapped his arms around Gustav, kissed his lips, then picked him up, squeezing him almost painfully tight. 

Gustav opened his mouth to say, "Gre...", but it was cut off by a completely unexpected hug – pickup – and KISS. 

Georg had kissed him. And he'd gotten a B. And he'd kissed him.

He didn't know which shocked him more, but he gasped a little and kissed him back, as much as he knew how, and squeezed back.

After a long moment, Georg finally pulled back and set him down, grinning. 

Until he realized what he'd just done, which made him blink in surprise and flush deeply. 

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and licked his lips. "So, um, yeah. I got a B."

He smiled almost shyly and pulled his test out. "Wanna see?"

Gustav was rather glad that the stairs were right there behind the door, because his knees pretty much gave out when Georg let go, and he sat down with a thump on the third step, his heart pounding. He knew he was flushing hard too, but managed to smile. "You did? That's brilliant! Yeah, I want to see."

He took the paper from Georg's hand and looked it over, glad to have somewhere to put his eyes. "Whoa – you did a great job! Picky teacher, though. Jesus." He shook his head and then gave the test back and smiled at him, still pink. 

Georg, who had been watching him anxiously, grinned when he took the test back. "It was good, huh? I panicked a little for a moment but in the end, I knew more than I thought I would, and, yeah. It worked. And he's terribly picky, but I've never gotten a B before, so that's pretty brilliant."

"It _is_ brilliant and I'm really proud of you. So, are you gonna go out and celebrate?" Gustav pulled off his glasses, which were steamed because he was so warm in the face. 

Georg smiled, his ears flushing a little. He pushed his hair behind them, then looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "Not really, no. No plans. Melissa broke up with me on Tuesday because I spent almost all my time studying, so I'm free." He paused. "Do you maybe want to hang out? If you have time, that is – if not, I completely understand."

Gustav looked up at Georg, leaning against the newel post; he didn't look that broken up over breaking up, so to speak. 

"Uh, no. I don't have any plans," Gustav managed a smile, not adding that he rarely had _any_ plans. Bill had hooked up with some townie, so even he wasn't around. "I'm sorry to hear about your breakup, though – it must suck on some level, even if she wasn't The One."

Georg shrugged. "It didn't really suck. She was annoying and she wouldn't let me touch her anyway – which I understand, but still. I guess I'm glad I got rid of her. Being single is better anyway, right?"

Gustav raised a brow. "If you say so." He managed to stand up, his lips still stinging from that kiss – his first kiss, really, his only one ever. He ran a hand through his hair, which was in its annoying starting-to-curl phase. 

Georg nodded, and slid his hands into his pockets. "Well, maybe you could call Bill and we could all go out for a few drinks, and then… Yeah. I guess we'll see."

"Sure, I can give Bill a call; drag him out of bed with his boy. From what I understand, they've barely left Tom's – I think that's his name – room." Gustav shook his head with a smile. "Never figured Bill as one to take things slow, so I can't say I'm surprised."

"Oh, a boyfriend?" Georg asked, nodding. 

"Yeah, apparently – I haven't met him yet." Georg leaned against the wall as Gustav dug in his pocket for his phone, leaving his glasses on the stairs, and called Bill. "Hullo you, get your ass in gear and let's go out."

On the other end, Bill grinned instantly. "Night out? I'm in. Can I bring Tomi or is this a friends-only thing?"

Gustav smiled into the phone at Bill's bounciness, which seemed to travel well through fiber-optics, and nodded. "Sure, bring him along. Georg, the guy I was tutoring, is coming too."

Gustav really wanted to tell Bill about the kiss, but now was obviously not the time – besides, Bill would be able to tell he'd been kissed. Bill knew everything. 

"All right, then. I'll see you around eight," Bill said with a smile before they hung up. 

When Gustav looked back at Georg, the other boy was smiling. "So, um, I should probably hop into a shower before we go, so I'll pick you up later, all right? Around eight, nine? And – thank you, again. I really couldn't have done this without you."

"Okay, and yeah, I could use one too." Gustav refrained from saying that he’d faked out of gym today, but probably still smelled like an ox. "And sure, anywhere between eight and nine would be great."

He smiled at Georg. "You're welcome. You did all the work, and it paid off. I'm happy for you."

Georg nodded and returned the smile as he slid his test back into his backpack. "All right then. I'll see you later."

Gustav smiled again, and when Georg was gone, he sat back down. 

Georg had kissed him, hard. Spontaneously, out of nowhere, and he was still a little stunned. But God, it had felt so _good_ , and he wouldn't change that moment for anything.

He went upstairs and laid on his bed for a long time, before he took care of a 'little problem' of his own, then got up to shower.


	4. Chapter 4

At 8.15, Georg parked his car in front of Gustav's house and got out to ring the doorbell. He was wearing jeans, a gray t-shirt and a leather jacket – nothing special, but he knew he looked good. He was a little nervous but tried to tell himself that this was just a celebration among friends. 

Because… what else would it be?

Gustav, meanwhile, was hanging around in the kitchen, trying to not eat everything in sight, as he tended to do when nervous, when he heard a car pull up. He quickly checked his reflection in the bathroom off the kitchen – he wasn't wearing his normal ball cap, or his glasses, and had on a white t-shirt and his suede jacket, jeans and boots. He thought he looked okay – he hoped so anyway.

When the bell rang, he waited a moment, then answered, his eyes widened a little; fuck, the other boy looked _hot_ and Gustav swallowed before saying, "Hi."

Georg raised his brows when he saw Gustav, and smiled a little. "Hey… wow, you look different."

He reached up to touch Gustav's hair, then pulled back his hand, flushing as he cleared his throat and slid his hands into his pockets. “You look good."

"Do I?" Gustav cleared his throat. "Oh, well, yeah – I'm wearing my contacts tonight, so yeah, that's different."

_Wow, you are just a smooth customer, aren't you, Schäfer? Jesus Christ._

Then Georg touched his hair, and Gustav flushed again, but was still a little relieved to see that he wasn't the only nervous one. 

He chewed on his lip. "So, um. Are we waiting for Bill and Tom, or…?"

Gustav started to say something, when Bill appeared as if by magic. Saved by the Gay. Thank God for Bill. 

"Nope, we're here," Bill said from behind him, grinning. He was holding Tom's hand and leaned against him. "Gusti, Georg, this is Tomi. Tom, this is Gustav and his da– I mean, his friend Georg."

Tom smiled and shook Georg's hand, then Gustav's, looking between them – very nice. Both of them; Gustav was cute, and Georg was just fucking pretty, but he really didn't have eyes for anyone but Bill. Bill had converted him, hardcore.

Bill looked at Gustav and raised a brow, then smiled. "Nice car! Are we driving there?"

Georg nodded. "Yeah. And hey."

They got into the car, Gustav taking the front seat, and as they drove, he was very aware of Georg right next to him. 

When they arrived at the pub and found a table inside, Georg pulled off his jacket. "Who wants a beer?"

Bill bounced. "Me, me, me!" he chirped, then grinned at his new boyfriend, and shrugged. "Sorry. I get bouncy."

"You don't say," replied Tom dryly, amused by Bill. "So, four beers?"

He disappeared and came back with four beers a few minutes later, sitting down. He patted his lap. "Your seat, Sir."

Bill grinned. "Seriously? Yay!"

He got up, flopped down on Tom's lap and slid an arm around his neck as he reached for his beer with the other hand, unaware that Georg was watching them thoughtfully. He wasn't uncomfortable or anything; he really wasn't. But it was still odd to watch the other two boys be so open about their sexuality. 

He suddenly noticed that he was basically out with three gay boys, and wondered what his other friends would say if they could see him right now. Reaching for his beer and taking a sip, he decided not to think about it now and just enjoy himself. He gave Gustav a little smile, then glanced up when Bill spoke. 

"So, what's the reason for this spontaneous night out?" He looked from Gustav to Georg, and back again, looking as if he expected juicy details. 

Gustav sipped his beer and looked over at Georg. "Georg got a B on the History test that was so important," he said with a smile. "So he keeps his eligibility and all that, and thought beer was in order. Who was I to say no?"

"Ooh, excellent," Bill said cheerfully. "We should've ordered champagne then. But congrats – Gustav is an awesome tutor, isn't he? He always helps me when I, once again, don't get anything."

Georg glanced at Gustav through a curtain of long hair, and had to smile. "Yeah. Yeah, he's kind of awesome."

He took another sip of beer, hoping his blush wasn't too obvious in the darkness of the pub. 

Gustav blushed as well, and drained half his beer. "Bill's being nice. He's smarter than I am. But thanks – it's still nice to hear. And you’re definitely getting _something_ , Bill."

He smirked at Bill, who smirked back, and then watched Tom look adoringly at Bill, like he was this amazing gift from the God of Cute Boys. Then he glanced over at Georg – he was so, just, gorgeous, and he wondered how many girls had already come onto him in just the day or so since his breakup. Tons, probably. 

While Gustav and Georg sat in awkward silence for a while, Bill set down his beer, turned around, wrapped his arms around Tom's neck, and kissed him deeply. Only a few seconds later, they were wrapped in each other's arms and in a passionate kiss that looked as if it could lead to more any second now. 

Georg watched them, stunned, for a few long seconds before he looked away, feeling ashamed for staring at them like that. One glance at Gustav told him that the other boy felt a little awkward, too, and both of them reached for their glasses simultaneously, emptying them in one go. 

"I'll get us some more beer," Georg said, standing up and hesitating as he looked at Tom and Bill, but then decided that it would probably be rude to interrupt them right now. 

Gustav had finally been getting up his courage to be more social when Bill decided to swallow Tom's face, an obvious stop on the way to Fuckville Junction, and Georg left to get them drinks. God, they were going at it, Gustav thought, and he looked around for where else to look – and found Georg by the bar. 

He nodded towards them and rolled his eyes, wishing at the same time that it was him and… well. He knew who he wanted to kiss him again, but that had obviously been a one-time thing and it was just as well. 

Or so he told himself. 

He was grateful when Georg came back with more beer – he needed it – and sat down beside him. He gave Gustav a hesitant smile. "Are they always like that?" he asked in a hushed voice, not wanting the other two boys to hear him. He shook his head in amusement; he wished he had someone to kiss as well. Not Melissa, though; he was glad he wouldn't have to see her again. He briefly remembered the quick, spontaneous kiss from the afternoon, and gripped his glass tighter. 

"I don't know," Gustav whispered back. "I've never seen them together, but probably."

He smiled a little, and found himself once again wishing he had someone to kiss, too – it was weird sitting next to two people so obviously into each other and not feel like he really wanted that, too. 

"Oh," Georg said, taking another sip while he watched the other boys, eyes wide. "Dude. Don't they need to breathe every once in a while? Also, wanna bet how long until they're naked?"

He gave Gustav a grin, then reached for Bill's cigarettes on the table and lit one, taking a deep drag. 

"I think breathing is optional at this point." Gustav returned the grin. "And, fuck, I don't know. Ten minutes maybe? Bill is an exhibitionist."

He took his cue from Georg and lit his own cigarette, watching Bill and Tom, and trying to pick up tips – he didn't even know if he'd kissed Georg right. 

After a long moment of kissing, Bill drew back, breathing heavily, and looked into Tom's eyes. He licked his lips. "I think we're gonna go home. Do you want to, Tomi?"

Tom swallowed. "If we don't, I'm gonna do you on the table," he replied and shifted. "I'm hard."

Gustav blushed, and Tom had to laugh. "Sorry, TMI. Hey, I'm taking Bill home – we can walk, it's only a few blocks from here. You two gonna be okay?"

Bill was giggling. "You are? Excellent! But no, we should probably go home, yes."

He looked at Gustav. "Do you mind? I mean, I'd love to celebrate with you and Georg, but Tom's kisses are just…"

He shrugged helplessly, and grinned. 

Gustav rolled his eyes. "I don't think I want to be part of your first public indecency arrest, so no. Go."

He smiled at Bill, but wondered if anyone would ever want to kiss him that way, and if they did, if his return kisses would make anyone that hot. He sighed. Probably not. He drank more beer, trying to not be too down about the situation.

Georg, in the meantime, smiled. "I don't mind either. And yeah, we'll be fine. Have fun."

"We will!" Bill chirped, jumping up, and a moment later, they were gone and on their way back home. 

Gustav watched them leave. "Well, that was interesting to watch," he said, forcing lightness. "Guess we know what they'll be doing all night. So, do you…" He looked around. "Play darts, pool?"

Georg looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "Sure, if you want to. Pool?"

He gave him a smile and stood up, taking their beers and the cigarettes Bill had forgotten, and moved over to a free table. Gustav returned the smile, finished his cigarette and drank some beer before racking the balls up. He sucked at this, but maybe he'd get lucky tonight. 

At least at pool – he didn't have hopes for anything else. 

Georg was silent as he watched Gustav start playing, and frowned, shaking his head. "No, you're doing it all wrong. Look."

He stepped behind Gustav, slid his arms around him and showed him how to hold the stick. "Like this," he said into his ear, completely focused on teaching Gustav how to play. Finally something _he_ was good at. 

Gustav felt his temperature jump about a hundred degrees, and was glad he was pressed against the table, cause now he had his own – less pointy – stick. He let him show him how to do this. "Great," he murmured. "I suck at this, just so you know."

Georg smiled. "No problem," he said softly, stepping back. "I can teach you everything."

 _I bet you could_ , thought Gustav, then watched Georg reach for his pool stick, and promptly getting three balls into the holes. He grinned at Gustav. "Sorry. I should let you win."

Gustav was about to demur, but started laughing instead. "Dude, you have three balls? Excellent!"

He eyed them. "One of them is blue!"

That was when he realized he was tipsy, and once he realized _that_ , he began to giggle like an idiot. 

Georg raised a brow and had to laugh. "Dude, are you drunk? You've only had a beer and a half – how can you be drunk after that? Did you forget to eat something before we left?" He grinned, amused. 

"No, didn’t eat anything," admitted Gustav cheerfully. "Mmm, beer."

He drained his glass and motioned for a pitcher this time. "I think I might be tipsy." He nodded. "Maybe it'll improve my game! I mean, fuck, it couldn't get any worse, right?"

He grinned and shot wildly, managing to make a bank shot. "Hey! See?"

Georg watched him, getting more amused the longer he watched him. He had to admit that Gustav was an adorable drunk. "Are you sure that’s a good idea?" he asked when the pitcher came, laughing softly. "I should stop drinking, though. I have to drive."

"Okay. You stop and I'll keep being stupid," Gustav said. "M'good at that, at least. Now check this out."

He made another shot, which was made of fail. "Damn. Oh well. See, what I'm doing," he said craftily, "is give you a false sense of security, see? You think I suck, and then, I totally go BOOM!"

Georg snorted. "Of course – you're brilliant and you're totally gonna win."

Gustav nodded and poured himself a beer from the pitcher and sighed, looking at Georg's glass. "You're too hot to be sober," he said, then blanched. He wasn't so drunk as to not know what he was saying. 

Oops. 

Georg smiled and leaned against the table, raising his brows. "I'm hot, huh?" He smiled. "God, you _are_ drunk. Or you need new glasses – one of the two."

He smiled, then shot when it was his turn to play. 

Gustav folded his arms. "No, I have my contacts and I'm just sorta drunk. Not that much. Yet." 

He watched Georg play; watched him toss his hair over his shoulder, watched him concentrate and make an amazing shot. He was beautiful. 

He lost, handily – he'd figured he would. But it was okay. 

When the game was over, Georg leaned against the table again, and finished his beer. "So, do you want me to take you home, or do you want more beer?"

He smiled, brushing his hair back and watching Gustav. God, he was adorable. Then he frowned at that realization. 

_I want you to take me to bed._

Gustav blinked and shook his head. "Uh… I want more beer, but I should go home. There's school tomorrow, somewhere, right?" He scratched his neck, then sighed. "I guess home. Damn. I was just gonna win it all here."

"Of course you were," Georg said, patting his back. "But let's get you home."

He smiled, made sure Gustav was wearing his jacket and had everything he'd brought while Gustav smiled inside when Georg took care of him. Then Georg led him to the car, fastening the other boy's seatbelt to make sure he was safe, which made Gustav's smile widen even more. Then Georg got into the car himself and drove him home, staying quiet. 

Gustav didn't say anything on the ride home, either, and he wondered what he'd done wrong. He didn't think _if_ he had; he was pretty sure he must have. 

"Here we are," Georg said when they arrived, looking at Gustav. "Do you need help getting to the door, or…?"

Gustav looked around. "No, I can crawl up the walk – I’ve done it before." He looked over at Georg. "Uh, well, thanks for the ride, and yeah, congratulations again."

Georg looked at him for a long moment before he nodded. "Thank you – for everything. I would've been lost without you."

He gave him a smile, then hesitated before holding out his hand, not sure what else to say or do. 

Gustav smiled back – and then, without knowing why or what the fuck possessed him, he undid his seatbelt, half-turned towards Georg, wrapped his hand around his wrist, then leaned in and kissed him, hard. It only lasted a moment but left him shaky. 

Georg didn't see _that_ coming, but closed his eyes and returned the kiss for however long it lasted. He swallowed hard and kept his eyes closed, then opened them when nothing else happened. He looked at Gustav, stunned, his cheeks probably flushed. 

Gustav, on the other hand, had turned pale. "Oh God," he whispered. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. Please… God, sorry."

He was massively uncoordinated at the best of times, let alone tipsy, but managed to scramble out of the car and shut the door behind him. 

He almost got to the door, tripped, fell, and got up again, hoping he wasn't being watched, then got inside the door and leaned against it, panting, sweaty, and feeling sick inside. Once safely up in his room, Gustav laid on the bed, not even caring that he had spins – he had one foot on the floor – and hated himself. 

Why was he such an idiot? Here was a guy who had the potential to be a real friend, and he couldn't control himself. So what if he was pretty? He was straight. He had had a girlfriend. He was a football-playing, beer-drinking, barely-passing jock. They had nothing in common.

Except loving music, video games, beer, and most likely other things, if they talked long enough. So what if Georg had kissed him? He was happy, he was saying thank you. No other move had been made. The contact during pool had been to help Gustav's wretched pool-playing form. Nothing else.

And now, he'd ruined it and Georg would never want to see or talk to him again. 

He laid there, swallowing hard, the slow trickle of tears down his face not even noticed until the salt dried on his lips.

He never wanted to move again.

 

Georg was still in the car, and had been about to open his mouth to stop Gustav when he'd disappeared inside the house. He briefly considered following him but then realized that there would be no point. Gustav had looked embarrassed, and was still drunk, so maybe he just needed some time to cool off. 

Besides, _he_ didn't know what to say to him either. 

So he waited for a long moment, hoping Gustav would come out again, but when he didn't, he drove home. 

In his room, he sat at his window for a long time, alternately playing random chords on his guitar, and smoking way too many cigarettes while he thought about Gustav, and tried to figure out how exactly he felt about the other boy. 

He'd never considered dating a boy before. And even now, the idea of being with a guy confused – and scared – him a little. He was a jock; his friends weren't exactly homophobes but he was sure they wouldn't appreciate having a fag on their team either. 

He frowned and stared down at his hands, then touched his lips where he could still feel a tingle from Gustav's lips. 

He sighed and went over to his bed, laying down on it and looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't deny that he had feelings for Gustav. He just wasn't sure what _kind_ of feelings he had for him. But they'd kissed twice that day, and both times, Georg's heart had stopped beating and his stomach had fluttered. Did that mean something? He didn’t know – he just didn’t know.

Georg sighed heavily and shook his head. He obviously wasn't coming to a conclusion tonight. He rolled over and tried to fall asleep – and managed after another few long minutes. 

He'd figure everything out the next day. Hopefully.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Georg went for a run and took a long shower, which helped him clear his head a little. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Gustav, but he knew what to do. They had to talk. He'd figure out what to say when he was there. 

He had breakfast, got dressed, then glanced at his watch, trying to figure out if Gustav was already awake – he was probably hung over, but being the good little private school student he was, he was probably up and doing homework. 

As soon as he thought that, he smacked himself for it – he knew Gustav better than that now, and knew that he didn't spent all of his time studying. He decided to give it a try, and just before he left his room, he thought of taking his guitar. 

Ten minutes later, he'd parked his car and was standing at Gustav's door, ringing the bell. After some small talk with Gustav's mother, he made his way upstairs and knocked on the door, listening intently. 

Gustav had finally gotten up, peed for an hour, and showered, trying to feel more human. He'd eaten a little, but he wasn't hungry, and had tried to study – because yes, he was still a good little boy – but gave up and now was reading Neil Gaiman's "American Gods," in bed in his underwear. Charming, but he didn't care.

He had on his headphones – Green Day – and didn't hear the car, but when the knock came, he figured it was his mum. He didn't want to talk, but she was probably checking on him nonetheless.

He sighed and closed his book, then yelled, "Come in!"

Georg opened the door and entered the room when he heard Gustav's voice. He was facing away from the door, so Georg had a moment to get over the surprise of finding Gustav only wearing underwear. He wasn't an athlete – that much was obvious – but Georg still found himself checking him out, and kind of liking what he saw. 

He blinked and shook his head, then cleared his throat. "Hey."

Gustav wasn't at all prepared to hear Georg's voice, and turned and sat up quickly, pulling out his ear buds. "Oh hey," he said, realizing he had no shirt on, and he wasn't exactly hot and chiseled. 

Oh what the fuck – Georg was probably only here to tell him he was a faggot and to stay the hell away from him. 

He tugged the covers up. "Um… didn't quite expect you."

"Hey," Georg said again, then laughed quietly. "I can see that."

"Yeah, I guess so – obviously not an athlete here." Gustav sighed. 

"You look fine." Georg gave him a sweet smile, meaning it. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't on the football team and could just, you know, chill for a while and just eat whatever the hell I want without having to go for a run afterwards."

"I suppose so – guess there are some benefits to being a chubby couch potato. I only run if dogs are chasing me for my leftovers." Gustav ran a hand through his hair and smiled at him. 

"There definitely are," Georg sighed, nodding. Then he laughed. "Yeah… I went for a run this morning, actually. It's kind of nice sometimes, but generally I prefer staying in bed if I have a choice."

"Wow," Gustav said. "Better you than me. I've moved to the bathroom, the kitchen, and back here."

Georg grinned, then realized that he was still standing in the doorway. He closed the door, revealing that he had his guitar with him. He moved over to the couch, picking a t-shirt off it and tossing it at Gustav before he sat down. 

Gustav caught the shirt, then sniffed it. "Not bad – only three days in." He pulled it on, feeling better and less exposed now. 

Georg was about to say something else, then paused and thought. "Um, do you have plans? Because I kind of thought we could hang out a bit – but if you have plans, I can totally come back later, or whenever. Unless you don't want me here at all, which would be… well."

He flushed a little - babbling didn't suit him. "So, uh, I brought my guitar."

_Hello there, Captain Obvious!_

He sighed, but Gustav smiled. "Me? Plans? Nah. The male dancers aren't scheduled till later, and the orgy isn’t until midnight, so no, I'm free. And sure, I want you here."

He paused. "I'm a little surprised that _you_ want to be here, but yeah, I always like seeing you. And cool – are you gonna play for me?"

Georg laughed. "Oh really? Well, those are some big plans."

Gustav grinned. "I always have big plans like that. It's just how I roll."

Georg smiled, and pulled out his guitar. "And yeah, I'm gonna play for you. But you still remember our deal, right? I play; you let me read one of your stories."

Then he tilted his head. "So, what do you want me to play for you?"

Gustav frowned at the mention of the deal. "Oh, right, God. Let me think of the lease objectionable I have around – and no. You pick what you want to play, and I'll listen intently."

Georg grimaced, then thought for a moment before he started playing… and stopped again, looking up. "Oh, and don't expect me to sing. Singing is something I only do in the shower, or when I'm drunk. But I never ever want an audience for that."

He grinned, then focused and looked back down, his hair falling into his face as he started playing Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'… which, now that he thought about it, he'd been playing rather often lately.

Gustav watched him, trying to figure out what he wanted, why he was here. Was it possible that Georg just liked him and the kiss didn't matter? That seemed too good to be true, to be honest. He pulled his legs up under the blankets and listened to Georg – he approved of his choice, Pink Floyd being a favorite of his, too. And Georg was good, better than he probably thought he was. 

Georg managed to make it through most of the song until he completely fucked up the ending. He laughed, and shook his head. "All right, forget about the ending. But, yeah, this is me, playing guitar. Your ears didn't fall off, so I guess it wasn't too terrible?"

He looked up at him, his cheeks a little flushed, but he was still smiling. 

Gustav couldn’t help smiling back. "Hey, it sounded great to me," he said sincerely. "And no, my ears seem to be intact. You're good, Georg – you shouldn't keep this a secret."

God, he was so – everything. Everything he wanted, everything he’d thought he might find someday, if he was lucky, if the stars were all in alignment, and Fate was smiling on chunky boys that day…

Georg smiled. "Keeping it a secret kind of makes it more exciting, you know?"

Gustav nodded, then chewed on his lip. "So, I suppose that you expect me to hold up my end of the bargain now, huh?"

Georg put his guitar aside, then looked up, nodding. "Yup. Gimme."

He grinned, and Gustav rolled his eyes – more at himself than Georg, to be honest – and then got out of bed, in his boxers and t-shirt, and dug around in his desk, finding one of his favorites. "Okay," he said after a moment. "This one is kind of creepy and not hugely long."

He looked up. "Not 'cause I think you can't read, just that some of my stories are obscenely long and epic.” He handed it to Georg. "I'll be hiding under the covers, if you need me."

He'd forgotten that this particular story had one of the only instances of sex he'd ever written, and had written it after watching porn with Bill.

Georg nodded and smiled. "All right," he said, leaning back before he started reading. The story _was_ kind of creepy, he had to admit, but extremely well-written. He glanced up at Gustav and smiled. "This is really good."

Then he went back to reading, and turned silent when he came to the sex part – the _gay_ sex part. He swallowed hard and read, unable to take his eyes off the story. 

True to his word, Gustav _was_ hiding under the covers, but poked his head out long enough to say "Thank you," before smiling at Georg and looking up at his ceiling – it needed painting. Maybe a colorful mural of David Gandy and Rafael Lazzini doing dirty and perverse things to each other; the thought made him grin.

Then flush.

Then remember.

"Oh fuck," he said immediately, sitting up. "Uh, that story has… oh. You got there already."

He sighed, his ears turning red. "I've changed hiding for the moment to hiding forever."

Georg nodded. "Yep. I'm there," he said, his voice sounding a little strangled. He licked his lips, and when he finished the story, he was hard.

Gustav groaned and pulled the covers over his head – not very mature, he knew, but it kept him from meeting Georg's eyes – for the moment anyway. And when Georg spoke next, he sucked up his courage and rolled onto his side to look at him, then sat up, rubbing his head.

Georg licked his lips. Okay, so Gustav was good at writing in general, but he was _great_ at writing sex; the fact that there was no pussy, only guy-sex didn't even matter. He swallowed hard and looked at him. "This was really great, Gustav. I mean it. You're an awesome writer."

"Thank you," Gustav said softly, meaning it. "That's really nice of you to say."

Then, he took a deep breath. "Look – I forgot that was in there. I've written two stories with sex, I think, out of, I don't know – a lot. It wasn't intentional, I just thought the other parts were good and you might like it."

He took another breath and decided to just be honest. "I'm gay – obviously – and I think you're amazingly hot. I know you're straight and not interested, and I was gonna say I'd never try anything, but I did, last night. In my defense, I was drunk and not really in control of myself, and I really _am_ sorry for that, cause it probably made you really uncomfortable. And I laid up here most of the night, feeling terrible, because I was worried I'd upset you and you'd never want to talk to me again – and I do like you, personally, attraction aside. I think you're a cool guy and I honestly kind of can't believe you're here today."

Gustav took a breath, and continued. "If you want to be friends, that would be awesome, but if you want to bail, I understand that too. I can't help thinking what I think, and I probably will always find you really attractive, but like I said, I know you're straight and I totally respect that. I do."

Georg was silent as he listened to all of that, still holding the story between his hands. He bit his lip and flushed when Gustav admitted he liked him, not sure how to feel about that – or rather, not sure if he should allow himself to feel anything. 

"I wouldn't bail," he said slowly, trying to gain some time to think about how he felt about Gustav. "I like you; we're friends. I wouldn't bail on you, just like I wouldn't bail on a girl if she was my friend and admitted she liked me."

He flushed a little more, wondering if it was hot in the room, or if it was just him. Or Gustav.

"Either way," he started again, "you didn't upset or offend me or anything. I mean, if anything, it's a compliment, right?"

He looked up at him, not really sure what else to say. What did you say to someone when you liked them, but weren't sure what kind of feelings you had for them?

He needed more time.

"Look," he said finally, looking into his eyes. "I like you. I really like you. But this is all a little too much right now, I… I've never been into a boy before, and I'm just not sure how I feel."

Gustav watched Georg's face, watching him flush and try to figure out what to say, then waited till he was done before speaking.

"I'm glad you don't want to not be my friend." He was choosing his words carefully too. "And it is – was a compliment, cause drunk or sober, I never make a move like that, but you had… well, you kissed me earlier, so I guess in my mind I thought it might be okay. And it wasn't, I understand that. I can see this is weird for you, and I wouldn't push. Maybe we can just be friends and then, if you ever want more, you know where I am. Okay?"

Georg let out a breath of relief and gave him a wide smile. "Thank you. That sounds great – I really want to be friends because all of my other friends are… well. Pretty much what you thought of me when you first saw me, so yeah, that sounds perfect."

Gustav smirked. "You really wanna know what I thought of you first off?"

Georg raised a brow. "I probably don't want to know. But let me guess – a dumb jock with stupid hair and a brain the size of a peanut?" 

He grinned, looking at him expectantly. 

Gustav raised a brow in return, then had to laugh. "Yes," he admitted. "But I think I was just jealous of the hair. I would look… fuck, like Cousin It from the Addams Family, and you look like you should be a male model. But obviously, there's way more to you than a great body and amazing hair."

He said this with no thought, then got out of bed and found some reasonably clean shorts, real ones, and pulled them on. 

Georg smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, the hair – the girls always want to braid it." He grinned. "But the only girl who's allowed to touch it is my cousin. She's five."

He grinned, still a little surprised at all the compliments – which he secretly enjoyed. 

"Awww, you were her Barbie; that's sweet. My cousins are all on parole or awaiting trial."

It was hard to tell if Gustav was serious or not, and that was the way Gustav liked it. 

Georg eyed him but then leaned back. "So… I've been thinking and I'm pretty sure I want to kick your ass at that X-Box game we played the other day. I need revenge. I can't just let you win over and over again. I need to defend my honor."

Gustav smirked. "Seriously, you think you can kick _my_ ass? I think not."

He snorted, then flipped on the game system and handed Georg the other control, meeting his eyes.

"Of course I can," Georg said challengingly, looking back at him. 

Gustav seemed unconvinced. "All right, then. Let's see you try and take the title." He leaned back and grabbed a box of tissues and tossed them next to Georg. "Here – for the tears you’ll shed after I whip your ass."

Georg laughed but accepted the tissues. "Oh, all right. I'll keep them here for you – you'll need them. I'm winning today, remember?"

Gustav soon found out that Georg was serious about kicking his ass, and was giving him a run for his money. Dude. When Georg won, he dropped the controller and pointed at the screen. "And _that's_ how you do it!"

Gustav sat back, shaking his head at himself. "I have been schooled, and severely. I bow to you."

He leaned back and got them Cokes – he didn't want to look at beer right now – and handed Georg one. "Dude, you were holding out on me."

Georg grinned back, accepting the Coke, then suddenly turned serious as something occurred to him, and he bit his lip. "So, um, I have a game next weekend, a big game. And I was… I mean, would you like to come? I don't know if you're into that kind of thing – sports, I mean, but… yeah."

Gustav took a sip of Coke and looked over at him as he spoke, then smiled. "I'm not usually, no, but I'd really like to see you play. So I'd like to come. Thanks."

Georg smiled, relieved. "Really? Thanks - I hope you'll enjoy it. You can bring Bill – that should be pretty entertaining, even if the game does nothing for you."

"Oh God, Bill will be commenting on everybody's ass and ranking them on a scale from 'needs work' to 'super-spectacular'." Gustav sighed, but had to laugh. "So sure, I'll bring him."

He looked at Georg, who looked smug over his win. "Dude, this is so not over."

He picked up his controller, nudged Georg and they were off.


	6. Chapter 6

"This is so exciting!" Bill chirped, munching some popcorn as he bounced on his seat and looked at the hot and less hot football players. "Dude, look at their asses! Nice, nice."

He grinned, then sipped his beer, already half-tipsy before the game could even begin.

 _So these are the townies,_ thought Gustav, tossing down a handful of popcorn. This was why his parents had sent him to private school.

Ridgeview's field wasn't like the one at his academy, and the bleachers and all that crap weren't as nice, or as new, but there was a lot of excitement in the air – this was essentially their Homecoming. Although why anyone would want to come back to this was a mystery to him.

He hadn't had a chance to see Georg or wish him luck, and obviously, texting or calling right now was out. So he watched the game, spotting Georg almost immediately – that fact that he knew he was Number 18 didn't hurt.

Georg was standing on the field in full gear, waiting for the game to begin. He looked around nervously; he hadn't seen Gustav and wondered if he'd done or said something to make him not want to come. 

Either way, it didn't – or _shouldn't_ – matter right now; he had a game to focus on. He got ready, and when the game started, he couldn't concentrate and fucked up everything he could fuck up. 

The fact that his coach and the crowd were both reminding him that he was sucking royally didn’t help, and his anger and disappointment in himself was palpable. This was not a game he could afford to screw up, and he knew it – college scouts were in the stands, and here he was, freaking out over whether or not a friend-maybe-more-someday had come to the game that was turning into his own little Waterloo. 

Gustav didn't take his eyes off Georg for even a second; but he wasn't having a good game, or at least, Gustav didn't _think_ he was. He knew fuck-all about football, but a lopsided score of 14 to 3 couldn't be good – unless, of course you were the 14.

He glanced at Bill, who was bouncy, and when it was halftime, he tugged Bill with him, and went looking for Georg.

"Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?" one of the players and Georg's former best friend – _Gustav_ was his best friend now; or so he'd thought – asked, throwing him a worried look when they left the field together. Georg was frustrated and almost punched the guy, knowing very well that he wasn't doing anything right tonight. 

He took off his helmet and resisted the urge to throw it against a wall, then happened to look up when Bill and Gustav came down the steps.

His eyes widened and he was stunned for a moment. "You came," he said incredulously. "I thought you weren't here."

Bill beamed. "Of course we're here," he said cheerfully, throwing some popcorn in the air and catching one with his mouth. Another one hit him in the eye. 

"Ow," he said, pouting, then disappeared to go look at some asses – and finding them in the form of dim-witted ball players. "Well, hello there!"

Gustav had never been in a locker-room area, having lied his way out of years of gym class – besides, he thought gang showers were the epitome of legally-endorsed torture and so avoided places like this at all costs.

He watched Bill flirt with a football player who looked stunned by Bill's pink eye shadow and snickered, then looked surprised at Georg's statement.

"Of course I came," he said, hooking his sunglasses on the collar of his black t-shirt. He was wearing his father's old black leather jacket, very vintage and broken-in; apparently, his dad had been pretty cool, back in the day. He had his contacts in and completed the look in tight – for him – jeans.

"We were a little late, is all," he continued. "Mum asked me where I was going, I told her a football game and she tried to have me institutionalized, so it slowed me down a tad, but yeah, we're here." He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "So, uh, this is football. Violent, sweaty, lots of grunting. Nice."

For a long moment, Georg was busy eyeing Gustav – he looked amazing – then gave him a real smile, feeling much better now that he was here. 

"I thought you weren't here," he repeated, then decided to shut up, not wanting Gustav to know that he'd been playing like an amateur because of his absence. "I, uh … yeah. Sorry, it's not a good game. I suck tonight," he sighed then, and leaned against the wall, glancing over when Tom stormed into the locker-room as well, looking for Bill, whom he’d spied flirting with some other guy. 

Georg exchanged a look with Gustav, nodding in understanding when Gustav said simply, "Bill," then added, "Would I miss you playing?" Gustav smiled back at him, thinking that no one looked better than Georg in that uniform. He looked UNF, for lack of a better phrase. "And besides, I'm sure that sometimes some games go better than others – you'll come back and be awesome."

He gave Georg an encouraging grin, firmly believing that Georg would somehow save the day – that’s what heroes did, right?

Georg smiled back, a sudden intense fluttering in his stomach. He brushed a strand of his hair behind his ear. "I'm sure I'll do better in the next half," he said softly but confidently, unable to take his eyes off Gustav. "So you've been enjoying it so far?" He smiled. "Not really your cup of tea, is it? Well, I'll do better now, and I'm sure you'll see why it's a great game."

"Of course you will." Gustav said this with absolute certainty. "You fucking rock, after all. And it's not bad, actually – Bill is enjoying the tight pants."

He looked over at his tipsy friend, who was declaring his love for mohawked Tom a few feet away, with the same Tom looking like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 

Bill often had that effect on people. 

Georg grinned. "I was sure he would," he said, then bit his lip when one of the other guys announced that the game was about to start again. "All right, so, I gotta go. You'll watch, yeah?"

Gustav nodded. "Of course! Um… kick their asses, whip their butts, do whatever you're supposed to do." Gustav paused a moment, then added, "Go Team?"

Georg laughed, then walked away from him backwards before turning around and jogging back outside and onto the field. 

Gustav looked around for Bill, but the pink-shadowed one was nowhere in sight. So he went back to his seat with a plastic cup of beer, and drank. And found himself cheering, even, because honestly, Georg _was_ awesome, had obviously found his missing game, and got it on. 

When the game was over, Ridgeview had won by a touchdown, and the crowd was cheering and clapping, while the players celebrated on the field. Gustav stayed in his seat and watched. 

After the game, Georg let the other players pat him on the back and congratulate him for basically being an amazing player, but he immediately glanced up to where Gustav was sitting. And then he suddenly realized that Gustav was the only person he wanted to celebrate with right now. 

But he was sweaty, so he waved at Gustav, and followed the other guys into the locker-room, hoping Gustav would wait for him outside. 

Gustav grinned down at Georg when he looked up and gave him a thumbs-up, watching the other players congratulate him. He figured Georg would go in for a shower – and better Georg in there than him – so knew it would be a while. He waited till the bleachers were pretty emptied, and made his way down to the entrance of the gym, where he thought Georg would come out.

Sometime later, Georg emerged, wearing his normal clothes, and when he saw Gustav, he stopped for a long moment. Then he took a deep breath and walked over to him, not giving him the opportunity to say or think anything before he cupped his face between his hands and kissed him, hard. He didn't care that his friends and everyone else was probably watching; he was just happy and in love, and needed to express that. 

He slid his arms down Gustav's back, then picked him up, never breaking the kiss until he needed air, and set him down gently, their foreheads pressed together. Then he looked into his eyes, swallowing hard.

Gustav had been planning on congratulating Georg again, offering to take him out for dinner or whatever, or just saying hey and then going home while Georg celebrated with the rest of the team.

He _didn't_ expect Georg to come up to him, grab him and kiss him – in public, in front of a shitload of people.

But fuck, he wasn't going to complain – instead, he kissed Georg back, wrapping his arms around him and holding on until Georg set him down and looked into his eyes.

Georg gazed back at him, then cupped Gustav's face again, brushing his thumb over his cheekbone as he gave him a second intense kiss that left no one around them in doubt about his feelings for the other boy. 

Gustav swallowed hard around the lump in his throat and closed his eyes, raising his hand to cover Georg's as they shared that tender kiss. His mind was in complete turmoil, his stomach was doing somersaults and he was pretty sure that his knees were knocking audibly, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was Georg. 

"Let's go celebrate," Georg said quietly, reaching for Gustav's hand and lacing their fingers as he pulled him away from the gym entrance. Gustav managed to nod and slid his fingers through the other boy's, making his legs move out to the parking lot. 

When they reached his car, Georg didn't want to let go of Gustav's hand, so he pulled him close and gave him a sweet, soft kiss, then opened the door for him. 

When Gustav was in the car, Georg went around to the driver’s side, got in and started the car. "So I was thinking we could get food immediately and then go to my place, or yours."

He looked at him. "Or go out, or whatever you want; I just want to be with you."

He bit his lip, then turned off the ignition and turned to him. "I've been thinking about you all week – ever since we met, actually, pretty much, and tonight, I just… I fucked up the first half of the game because you weren't there. And then I was better than ever before because you _were_ there. You've improved my grades – and not just History – and you're making me better, in every sense of the word. I think it's evident that I'm falling hard for you now, and I don't want to deny it anymore. I'm in love with you, Gustav."

He looked at him, holding his breath. 

Gustav was glad to sit down, because his legs weren't going to hold him up anymore but he blinked and tried to think – his brain was feeling mushy, like pudding. 

Pudding would be good. 

Focus, Schäfer!

"That would be – yeah, your place." He licked dry lips and swallowed as Georg started speaking – and when he was done, Gustav was horrified to find that his eyes were a little teary. 

"You are? You really feel that way about me?"

Georg wasn't the only one now holding his breath. 

Georg pressed his lips together, nodding as he finally took a deep breath. 

"Yes," he said quietly. "And I think I've been feeling this way since – well, since you told me you liked me. I just wasn't entirely sure, and it was all new for me, so I wanted to make sure. I wouldn't want to break your heart or give you false hope or anything."

He licked his lips. "You still like me, right?"

He bit his lip, looking insecure. 

Gustav blinked and then sniffled – yeah, he was a real man – and then, on the heels of the sniffle, he had to laugh. "Do I still like you? Let me see if I can show you."

He leaned across the small space between the bucket seats and slid his hand around the back of Georg's neck, rubbing the soft skin there, and looked into his eyes for a long moment.

He brushed his lips over Georg's, then closed his eyes and kissed him the way he'd dreamed of kissing him since that first day; because he _had_ dreamed of that, whether he admitted it to himself or not.

Georg looked at him curiously, then closed his eyes when he was kissed, and slid an arm around the other boy, pulling him as close as he could while he deepened the kiss slowly. He didn't know when his feelings for Gustav had started to change, and it didn't matter anyway. He only knew that he'd fallen for this boy faster and harder than he'd ever fallen for anyone else before. 

When the kiss grew in heat and passion, he had to pull back, gasping for air. "God, Gustav," he whispered, pressing his forehead against Gustav's. 

He glanced outside for a moment, blinking when he saw two girls staring at them. "All right, I think it's time to get the hell out of here."

He grinned and sat up, squeezing Gustav's hand.

"I know, right?" 

It was lame under the circumstances, but Gustav couldn't think of anything else to say because yeah, the whole mushy-brain thing. 

He managed a deep breath and sat back, noticing the girls, then had to grin. "It's probably a good thing that I don't go to school here – I might get lynched for turning their star quarterback towards a deviant lifestyle."

He squeezed Georg's hand back, and then impulsively brought it to his lips, and kissed the knuckles.

Georg laughed, nodding. "Yeah, a definite possibility."

His breath caught in his throat when Gustav kissed his knuckles, and he gave him a warm smile, then promptly leaned over to kiss him again – more briefly this time. "Let's go home, or we'll never get out of here."

He smiled, then kept holding Gustav's hand as he drove out of the parking lot and onto the street. "Food? I think we're out of pretty much everything, so we can pick something up or order in. Your choice, ba-"

He'd been about to say 'baby', but realised that might be a little much for the first date – or whatever this was.

Gustav, however, knew he'd been about to say 'baby', and it made him feel oddly warm inside. No one had ever called him baby – well, since he had _been_ a baby.

For now, though, just holding Georg's hand was further than he'd ever thought he'd get.

"I was already planning on taking you out, but ordering in is great too – and me pick? You're the hero. But fine – Chinese, with lots of extra pork-fried rice, Crab Rangoon and duck sauce." He didn't miss a beat when it came to food.

Georg nodded. "Sounds good, I love Chinese food, so yeah."

His heart was beating a little faster because he already knew that they would be alone at home; in his room, on the bed. He wasn't sure if Gustav was ready for any of that, but just kissing him for the rest of the night seemed like a pretty great plan.

When they arrived, he parked the car and got out, immediately wrapping his hand around Gustav's again. Then he took him into the house, kissing him again the moment the door was closed.

Gustav's stomach was still cartwheeling around inside him – he was nervous and shaky, but aroused and needy at the same time, and it was the weirdest feeling he'd ever had.

He slid his arms around Georg's neck and looked up into his eyes – he had thought of a million different ways to say he loved Georg, but at the moment, all of them escaped him, and he was left with the simplest way he knew.

"Georg," he whispered when the kiss broke. "Georg, I love you. Am _in_ love with you. And I can't believe that you love me back."

Georg looked down at him, his own stomach doing a little flip at those words. He smiled, then kissed him again, pulling him closer as he gently slid his fingers through Gustav's soft curls. "Why is that so hard to believe, hmm?"

He smiled and kissed his nose, then wrapped his arms around him and hugged him, burying his face in the other boy's neck and breathing him in.

Gustav had always suspected he would be a secret snuggler, and it was proving true – he cuddled into Georg and breathed _him_ in as well. He smelled like soap, shampoo, and another underlying musky smell, that had to be just Georg. He'd never been this close to him before.

Georg nuzzled him – he'd never liked cuddling before, but maybe he just didn't like snuggling with girls. Gustav, however, felt amazing in his arms and he never wanted to let go of him.

When Gustav finally lifted his head from the other boy's shoulder, he looked up. "We seem like an unlikely pair – but you know, what you said about me making you a better person? Which was amazingly sweet, by the way? It's true for me too; you've made me better too."

Georg looked down at him, smiling. "We are, but… whatever works, you know? And how? I didn't do anything - did I?"

Gustav had been thinking about this. "You did. I had this image of you and you totally turned it around. I had to look beyond and adjust how I thought and… well, I think I'm a better person. Bill says I'm a brat, but he was mad 'cause I wouldn't wear eyeliner for him tonight, so I'm not sure that counts. But still!"

"Oh," Georg said, nodding. "Well in that case, add that to the reasons why you made _me_ a better person, too."

He brushed a kiss over his lips, then was left to consider the idea of Gustav with eyeliner, which he approved of. "Maybe you should let him once," he said with a small grin. "I'd like to see that."

Gustav rolled his eyes. "You too? Bill will be thrilled. He's used me as his model for years, as I struggled to get free from the chair. Now you're saying yes? Dude."

Georg grinned. "I'm not saying go with that style permanently – but trying it out can't harm you, right?"

"You don't know Bill – trying can be very harmful." 

Gustav tugged Georg backwards, away from the door. "Do you want me to call, and then we can go, well, wherever you want, here, and still pretend we're not snugglers? Even though we so obviously _are_?"

Georg followed Gustav forward, making sure to keep him away from doors and pointy objects – not that there were any in their way. 

"We obviously are, yes, but sure, you can order. I eat everything, so whatever you want. Order everything."

He smiled and kissed him again, gently pressing him against the nearest wall. "If I can stop kissing you long enough, that is," he murmured against his lips, pinning him lightly.

Gustav grinned. "Order everything? You shall rue the day, my friend. RUE IT."

Okay, so it was a line from a TV show, but he liked it, so he used it. And then thought that that was a weird thought when you were being kissed and when the boy of your dreams was saying he couldn't stop kissing you.

Well, he was a weird boy. A more enlightened boy now, yes, but still weird. And more importantly, a weird boy that a hot boy loved.

Georg rubbed his nose against Gustav's. "We'll order later," he said, his voice low as he leaned in and deepened the kiss, sliding his hands down to take Gustav's, lacing their fingers as he pinned his hands above his head and he kissed him, hard. 

_He_ was hard, too, and couldn't help pressing a little harder against Gustav.

The tone of his voice made Gustav swallow hard and the _position_ , fuck, the position – it was straight out of his wettest dreams.

He kissed Georg back, just as hard, and when their tongues touched, he felt a shiver run down his spine and nudged his leg between Georg's, whimpering when he rubbed against the other boy's erection.

When Gustav's leg pressed against his erection, Georg moaned into his mouth, rubbing a little harder, his own leg pressed against Gustav's cock. He kissed him harder, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, and was pretty sure that he wouldn't last very long.

Gustav decided he was having an out-of-body experience, ‘cause all his most dreamed-of things could not be happening at once – could they?

Both of their lips would be bruised later, but he didn't care; he kissed Georg back with all the feeling he had for him, and rubbed against him, the sensation almost unbearable. He was either going to come or die – either, at this moment, was equally possible.

Georg kept his lips pressed against Gustav's, then let out a soft gasp when he felt himself come, his hips jerking forward against Gustav's thigh. "Nghhh," he moaned, panting heavily as he drew back and pressed his forehead against Gustav's.

Hearing Georg gasp, then the jerk of his hips was all it took to pull Gustav's orgasm out of him too, and he groaned and slumped against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

When he'd recovered a little, Georg kissed his lips lightly, leaning against him, stroking his sides. He wanted to say something but was a little speechless, so he just kissed his neck, rubbing his nose against his cheek. "Love you."

Gustav stared up into Georg's eyes and raised a hand to twist a long lock of hair around his finger. He didn't know what to say either – what he felt seemed almost too big for words.

But he managed.

"I love you too," he whispered. "And I really never thought I'd get to say that to you."

Georg smiled. "I'm completely unpredictable in every way," he said, kissing his lips briefly. "I guess we should get cleaned up, and order now?"

He brushed his fingers through Gustav's hair and smiled.

"You are," admitted Gustav. "You've stumped me at every turn, and I thought I was brilliant, so yeah, you're the Man."

He sighed happily. "I get to have you _and_ Chinese food – this is just about the best day ever."  
He kissed Georg's collarbone and leaned against him.

Georg smiled and kissed his nose, and after they'd cleaned up, they ordered a shit ton of Chinese food. When he'd ordered, Georg wrapped his arms around Gustav and pulled him onto his lap, his arms firmly wrapped around him. 

"I'm so glad I met you," he said softly, nuzzling him. 

Gustav settled in on Georg's lap, his arm around his shoulder, the other hand idly stroking Georg's stomach, feeling the muscles underneath his t-shirt. "I am too," he murmured. "When I first sat down across from you, I never thought we'd wind up here. I mean, I fantasized about it later, but didn't think it would actually _happen_. I'm still stunned that it has."

Georg smiled. "Me neither. I never even thought I'd _ever_ be attracted to a guy, so there has to be something really special about you. I never would've fallen in love with another boy."

"Well, I _am_ extraordinary," agreed Gustav, "So it's not surprising you chose me to fall in love with."

Georg grinned, then bit his lip and was silent for a moment, then looked up at him. "So, you're going to be my boyfriend now?"

He blushed a little, feeling stupid for even asking.

Georg's question made Gustav look at him in amazement, then laugh. "I'll be anything you want me to be – boyfriend, tutor, devoted sex slave - you tell me."

Georg snorted and had to grin. "How about all of the above? That would be perfect, pretty much."

Gustav grinned back. "I think – think! – I can pull off all those roles." He nodded, then touched Georg's cheek, feeling the blush. "I want to be, yes. Do you want to be mine?"

Georg looked up into his eyes and swallowed hard. "I do," he said softly, then suddenly needed to take a deep breath when he felt a panic attack washing over him. "I can't believe I kissed you in front of my whole school. I'm… fuck."

He took another deep breath, and after a moment, he realized that it would be okay. He looked into Gustav's eyes. "I just need to warn you – I'm going to need time, and I'm going to need you – as a friend and a boyfriend, because even though it all seems so easy when it's just you and me, I'm going to need time to get used to the idea of… being gay." He licked his lips. "But if that's too much for you, if you'd rather have someone more…"

He trailed off and looked at him, but could already see in his eyes that Gustav would be there for him, no matter what would happen.

Gustav had to smile. "You totally did – you laid a huge smooch on me, and I know there's gonna be some fallout from that. You're their star and you suddenly changed teams – so to speak."

He returned Georg's gaze. "I know you'll need time – I've never had a boyfriend, either, although I always hoped I would. And you've liked both sexes, so you don't have to label yourself, for me or anyone else. Maybe you'll just turn out to be Gustavsexual. And no."

He shook his head and cupped Georg's cheek. "I don't want anyone else, period. Whether it's hard for you, if it's – us, being here like this – easy, whichever, I don't care. I love you, and I'm not giving you up for anything."

Georg looked into his eyes for a long moment, then smiled, knowing that Gustav was telling the truth. He slid his arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. They had a long road ahead of them, but whatever they would have to deal with, they would get through it. 

As long as he had Gustav, he could get through anything.


End file.
